325 Tasting Notes

I’m on the first infusion, and it’s different than what I was expecting. Going by the product description and all the reviews, I was expecting a super sweet, creamy-ish, sweet potato-type thing, kinda like Butiki’s Mi Xian Black. I’m getting a portion of that in the Yu Lu Yan Cha, but I’m also getting some mushroom/earthiness, the kind I always associate with Chinese black teas. Not that I’m complaining by any means.

I’ll have to see how the second steep turns out. In the meantime, this is still pretty dang tasty and hits the right niche for my black tea craving.

After this morning’s smashing success that was the LB Chocolate Genmaicha, I had to get some more Laoshan Black. The classic is in my cupboard again, and this time in more than a sample-size bag. (Which has a ziplatch! Yay!)

Still sumptuous in the way that I grew to love. Yet, somehow the Chocolate Genmaicha version edges it out just a bit, with that extra roasty/nuttiness in the texture. And I don’t normally like roastiness! Huh???

Preparation

Another part of my Verdant birthday order. Y’know, I’d forgotten what genmaicha was when I placed this order, but I was so lured in by the promise of comforting flavors that I didn’t even give it a second thought. Had my first sip in a thermos on the way to an early doctor’s appointment, and then made some more for the morning mug at home.

Mmmm.

Mmmmmmmm.

I’m glad I’ve had the chance to try and get used to the regular Laoshan black before this, because that flavor had a bit of an adjustment period to me. Now that I crave LB, this is tasty. Normally I don’t do roasty, but I don’t mind it in this context. It’s quite a forgiving tea, too; I accidentally left a bit in the bottom of the teapot for a couple of hours and it was still great.

Really, I just wanna sip on this all day. And you know what, it’s my day off and I’mma do what I want.

Preparation

This was part of my birthday treat to myself. I’ve been very “meh” about certain oolongs in my life so far, but I read the item description of this and thought it sounded quite tasty. Sandalwood? Honey orchid? Juicy? Yum!

Like the leaves. Very long, twisted, green, sweet in a fruity way. The brew is indeed tasty, but… huh. There was that fruity-melony-juicy taste I was expecting, the kind I get a bit of from tieguanyin but I want more of. And then… there’s this taste at the tip of the tongue that is unexpected. What is it, buttery?

This tea deserves a more eloquent review; unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until another tasting (when I’m not having ice cream cake at the same time) to give it what it deserves. But since I can tell it’s an enjoyable and interesting tea, I’m going to go ahead with a number rating since it’s a high one. Yay for oolongs I actually like!

Mmm! This is actually quite nice! Maybe a little less assertive in the vanilla than is desirable, but that could be my fault as well. It’s nice to have teas like this that are just all sweet and smooth. I took my second steep to work and I couldn’t stop sipping on it. A lighthearted comfort tea. Yay tasty sample!

Yes, The rinse step can help washing and waking up your tea leaves. You can put the tea into the Yixing teapot and pour boiling water, it doesn’t need too much water this time, just cover the tea leaves.

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Bio

The name’s Holly, and I’ve been a tea drinker since spring of 2013. Tea is my happy place – it picks me up, it calms me down, it helps me focus, it helps me loosen my grip, it’s a little bit of positivity in each day. I do not drink alcohol, so tea is my recreational beverage. I love learning everything there is to know about it and sharing my experiences.

When I’m not drinking or writing about tea, I’m working at a music store and pursuing a Master’s degree in professional writing. You may also find me reading, writing, trying to learn French, cycling on the weekends, being a klutz, or making horrible puns and Star Trek references. Likely all at the same time.